Freight-car.



H. B. HOU'SER. FREIGHT' GAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 30, 1907.

Patented 0en.6,19o8.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARDY B. HOUSER, OF CINCINNATI, HIO.

FREIGHT-CAR.

Specification of Letters' Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

- Application led December 30, 1907. l Serial No. 408,516.'

To all whom 'it 'concern:

Y Be it known that I, HARDY B. HoUsEii, a

vcitizen of the United Statesof America, and

- resident of Cincinnati, county f Hamilton,

State of Ohio, have invented certain-new.

and useful Im rovements -in Freight-Cars,

Y of which the fo lowing is a specification.

My invention relatesto a freight car provided with a secondary ioorwhich may be utilized for converting the car into a double deck, or maybe placed aside for` making 4the car-into a single deck cal'.

The object of my,` invention is a car provided with a secondaryioorwhich may be vmoved from a horizontal position midway between the roofand thef main floor to aposition adjacent to the roof ofthe car, or viceversa, which is of a construction" such-that it does not become stuck ineither position during unfavorable weather, such asraining or freezingweather und which, likewise, is of a construction such that it. does notinterfere with the usual feed racks in the car. This object is attainedby the means described in the specicationvand illustrated in-theaccompanying drawings, inl-which,

Figure 1 is a view partly` in plan and partly in section of a carembodying my invention, the part uponthe left'beingl shown with the roofremoved, and the part upon the right being taken uponline of Fig.V

3. Fig. 2 a View artl in side elevation andv partly 1n vertice sectionupon line y-g/ of 3.'l Fig., 3 is a transverse 'sectional view takenupon line fu-'v ofk Figf2. Fig.' 4'

is a view 'taken upon'line -e-,aof Fig. 2but showing one side sectionofthe floor folded asis done in preparing torv raise -thewfloor to itsuppermost position..r f f Referring to the parts: 4The-.4secondary lfloor is composed of a central section consisting of longitudinalboards, A, A', secured to .transverse bars, B, and'of-two side sectionslconsisting 0T 'longitudinalfboards A2., A3,

which are pivbted by 'means of hinges, C, to the boards, Ag, A', so estobe capable of being swung to a horizontallposition to rest upon thetransverse'bars, B, and .to contact the sidewalls, D, D', `ofvtheear, orto be swung to a horizontal position' resting upon to of the boards, A,A. Theboards, A', A are made of a size such 'that `when the boards, A2,A8,V are folded' inward, 4the boards, A, A', will pass upward betweenthe feed "racks, d, d', without contacting the same.

To steady the movement of the seondary Hoor, the transverse bars arenotched attheir ends, to .straddle the vertical side posts, d2, ci", ofthe car body. The movement of the secondary floor is effected by meansof cables, e,v which are secured at their outer ends to t-he'bars, B,and at their inner ends tol the horizontal shaft, E, which is journaledin the rafters, d4, of the roof. The movement of the cable is renderedeasy by passing over sheaves, e', which are mounted loosely uponlongitudinal rods, e2, secured at each side of the car in the rafters,d4.

The secondary iioor is supported in its o erat-ive, or its inoperativeposition by ro s, F, bent at ends', f, f, to engage eyelets, g, g',which are screwed into the external posts, d, of the car body. Theserods, F, are removable and are placedin the eyelets, g, when the Hooroccupies its intermediate or operative position, and are placed in theeyelets, y, when the' floor occupies its uppermost or inoperativeposition.

Latches, K, are pivoted topost, d, in a position such that they-may beswung inward overl boards, A2, A3', when the boards are unfolded and vintheir lowermost position. Supposin that a car has been used in coldWeather wit the secondary floor in its opervative position for conveyingstock. The4 Hoor will naturally become stuck to the sides ofthe carbythe freezing of the accumulation ofmatter thereon. When it is desiredto raise the Hoor, this adherence of the floor tothe sides is veryreadily overcome by an upward blow upon `the' sections, A2, A3, causingthem to be' folded. The ioorv may then be raised very readily byengaging the squared end of shaft, E, with a crank and yrevolvin it.

-.What claim is:

1. Inl a freight car the combination of a secondary floor adapted to belaterally extended to a WidthV substantially equal to the insidevvidthof the car and of being reduc'd to a Widthsmaller than said insidewidth, a means of supporting the secondary floor in a positionintermediate 4the main oor and the roof of the car and a mechanism formoving the secondary Hoor to a position adjacent to the roofl and ofreturning it to its interme diate position.

. .2Q-Inl a reightvear the combination of a secondary floor consistingof a. central longitudinal section and two longitudinal sideseotions,hinges connecting the side sections t0 the central section, a means ofsupportlng vthe lsecondary floor in a position intermediate cated 'atthe sides and top thereof, a secondary floor adapted to be extended to aWidth substantially equal 'to the Width of the inside Width of the carand of being reduced to a width less than the distance between the-feedracks, a means of supporting the secondary floor in a positionintermediate the main floor and the roof of the car, and a. mechanismfor moving the secondary Hoor to a posit-ion adjacent to the roof, or olreturning it to its intermediate position.

HARDY B. HOUSER. lVtnesses VALTER F. MURRAY, AGNES MCCORMACK.

